The Chippewas had hopes for a third-straight bid into the NCAA Tournament dashed on Monday when they were left out of the field of 64.

CMU appeared to be on its way to what would have been a Mid-American Conference record third-straight tournament appearance, but its 1-0 loss to Western Michigan in the MAC Tournament semifinals turned out to be enough to exclude the Chippewas.

“I think we struggled a bit getting going,” said head coach Neil Stafford after the loss. “I thought Western Michigan had great energy and they really controlled parts of the game.”

The Chippewa’s rival from Kalamazoo had their number this season, being the only MAC team to defeat CMU. WMU also won the regular season meeting on Oct. 14.

“Full credit to Western,” Stafford said.” But I feel like this is one that got away from us with all the pressure and opportunities we had.”

Even with the loss, CMU still had a chance to make the tournament as an at-large team. The Chippewas had wins over power conference teams such as Pittsburgh, Louisville and Wisconsin.

CMU finished the season ranked 53rd in the country.

If the Chippewas would have made the tournament, it would have been the first at-large bid the MAC has ever received. In the end, it wasn’t meant to be.

“We have had a quality program the last couple years,” Stafford said. “You could say we have had a great year, but it all comes down to conference play.”

CMU finishes its season with a record of 15-3-3.

On Friday, the Central Michigan women’s soccer team was unable to beat Western Michigan goalkeeper Michelle Watson as the Broncos defeated CMU 1-0 in overtime.

“I think we struggled a little bit getting going today,” Stafford said. “I thought Western Michigan had great energy and they really controlled parts of the game.”

Junior Anina Cicerone scored 4:31 into the second overtime, heading the ball into the goal off a free kick.

“I guess you would like to get beat on another play, but fair credit to Western Michigan,” Stafford said.

This time, the Chippewas inability to score proved costly.

“It’s one that I felt got away from us with all of the pressure and opportunities we had,” Stafford said.

Watson made four saves in her shutout performance, including a key diving save on junior Ashley Mejilla.

CMU junior goalkeeper Stefanie Turner made a season-high eight saves in the loss.

“She was fine,” Stafford said. “She didn’t really have to make a big save or anything, but I thought she played good.”

The Chippewas were outshot by the Broncos 14-13 — the first time it was outshot by a MAC opponent all season.

Both teams received a yellow card foul as emotions were elevated throughout the game.

Sophomore Kaely Schlosser had one for the Chippewas and senior Nikolette Rivera for the Broncos. On Sunday, Toledo defeated WMU in the MAC Championship
game, claiming the title.

Rachel Macleod scored at the 68:01 mark off a corner kick to give the Rockets the only offense they needed, winning 1-0.

UT’s defense held WMU to just one shot on goal in the win.

This turns out to be a favorable outcome for the Chippewas as their season relies on a possible bid to participate in the NCAA Tournament.

With the Bronco loss, CMU’s chances of a tournament bid slightly increases because Toledo earned the only automatic bid from the MAC.

A WMU win potentially meant the Rockets would receive an at-large bid. Now, the Broncos are most likely eliminated from receiving a bid because both Toledo
and CMU have posted better overall records.

Boasting a 15-3-3 record with quality non-conference wins against Wisconsin, Louisville and Pittsburgh, the Chippewas seek to become the only MAC team in conference history to receive a possible at-large bid.

The selections will be announced Monday afternoon.

If it had any hopes at winning the regular season Mid-American Conference title for the third-straight season, it had to defeat EMU and hope Ball State could upend Toledo.

The Chippewas took care of their own business by defeating the Eagles 1-0 in Ypsilanti, but finished second in the MAC West division after Toledo clinched the title with a 2-0 victory.

“It just proves to you that if you don’t take care of business, you are not going to be that champion,” said head coach Neil Stafford. “Full credit to Toledo, they obviously took care of business when they had to.”

The game was also a must-win for EMU if it had any chance of making the MAC Tournament.

Senior defender Claire Horton opened the scoring 32:44 minutes in, after she fired a shot that deflected off an Eagles defender and found the back of the net. It was Horton’s second goal of the season, both of which have come in the last two games. Juniors Laura Twidle and Katie Slaughter assisted on the goal.

Both CMU goalkeepers combined for their fourth consecutive shutout and 13th of the season. Junior Stefanie Turner started in goal and was replaced by redshirt freshman Grace Labrecque in the second half.

“They were unbelievable,” Stafford said. “Steph did well today and Grace was absolutely magnificent.”

Despite the abysmal field conditions, Labrecque made six saves to seal the victory for CMU.

The team is now 4-9-2 all time versus EMU.

“I think we had a really successful season, regardless of not winning the regular season (MAC Championship),” Horton said. “But I think we are really prepared for the tournament, which is the most important thing.”

The Chippewas received the No. 2 seed and now host No. 7 Akron at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Stafford reiterated the importance of capitalizing on scoring chances and its success in the tournament relies on its ability to score goals.

“We definitely have quality players in offensive positions, they just have to show more consistency,” Stafford said.

Although CMU failed to win its third-straight MAC regular season title, it looks to earn its third-straight NCAA Tournament bid by winning the MAC Tournament.

“We just have to take it one game at a time and continue to play our game,” Labrecque said.

CMU has to defeat in-state rival Eastern Michigan in the regular season finale at 3 p.m. Thursday at Scicluna Field in Ypsilanti and hope Ball State can defeat MAC-leading Toledo to earn the honor.

But the Chippewas are focused on taking care of their own business, not on what Toledo is doing.

“We’re just focused on Eastern right now,” head coach Neil Stafford said. “This time last year we were in the same situation we are now where we had to rely on another team to beat Toledo.”

Last season, the Rockets were undefeated going into the final game, but lost 1-0 to Ball State, allowing CMU to claim a share of the MAC regular season title.

“Last year Ball State was much weaker than they are this year and they managed to win,” Stafford said. “I don’t know how, but I’m sure Toledo isn’t going to want to let that happen again.”

EMU comes into Thursday’s game with three wins conference play and must get three points to have a chance to make the MAC Tournament.

“They have to win to get in,” Stafford said. “They’re going to be bang up for a game that’s for sure. We need to focus on Thursday.”

The Eagles are led by freshman forward Angela Vultaggio, who has six goals and one assist this season. Fellow freshman, Bianca Rossi, has four goals and one assist, including the two goals she scored in Friday’s 5-1 victory over Ball State.

The Chippewas have featured a balanced scoring attack all season long. They have five players who have scored at least three goals and are led by junior Ashley Mejilla’s four goals, including Friday’s winner against UT.

CMU welcomed back last season’s leading scorer, Laura Twidle, last weekend. She played a season-high 49 minutes against Ball State and will provide depth to an already deep offense.

“Our plan is to prepare for Eastern,” Stafford said. “They’re going to be ready to go. Hopefully we will learn from this weekend. This is the stuff that helps us prepare for the tournament.”

Bethany Allport, Chelsi Abbott, Claire Horton and Liesel Toth are CMU’s all-time winningest class. The foursome has posted a 58-16-10 record during their time in Mt. Pleasant. They surpassed the 2010 class on Oct. 7.

“Their contributions to this program have been massive,” head coach Neil Stafford said. “They’re quality because they have so many different attributes that make them successful.”

As sophomores, the four were a part of CMU’s first-ever Mid-American Conference Championship team that lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, they were a major part of the team’s second-straight title.

“We evaluate our players in a lot of different ways,” Stafford said. “Whether it’s their lifestyle, their technical ability, tactical ability or mentally, physically or emotionally, they all seem to have all of those things.”

Abbott has two goals this season, both of them game-winners. The first was on Sept. 4 against Louisville and then on Sept. 14 against Wisconsin.

Allport has one assist this season. It came against Pittsburgh on Sept. 9. She has to watch the rest of the season from the sideline after tearing her ACL against Northern Illinois on Oct 16.

Horton and Toth are the co-captains of the 2011 team. The two have started every game of their careers. Their streak is at 84 games.

“Claire and Liesel are very special players,” Stafford said. “They could be playing at many schools around the country and we’re fortunate to have them here at CMU.”

The game against Ball State ended the way it should have, with the Chippewas winning 1-0 and Horton scoring her first goal of the season off an assist from Toth.

“It was perfect,” Toth said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was like a joint team effort. She deserves that because she brings so much to the team.”

The four seniors have one more chance to play in front of the home crowd when they host a Mid-American Conference Tournament first round game on Oct. 30. The game will be another chance to extend their streaks, but they know their time on the field is almost over.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Toth said. “I honestly don’t think it will hit me until were really done. Everyone wrote us senior letters and I got a little emotional. But it’s been great. I can’t imagine leaving this group of girls, they’re like my family.”

The Chippewas put the finishing touches on a perfect home season Sunday afternoon when they defeated Ball State 1-0 on senior day at the CMU Soccer Complex.

CMU finished the regular season 6-0-1 at home and only allowed one goal. Its unbeaten streak now sits at 33-straight games.

“I’m really happy with today’s win,” head Coach Neil Stafford said, “Ball State is a really good, organized program and they have some good players on their team. Any time we can get three points out of a game against a team like that, it speaks volumes about our program and our players.”

The Cardinals recorded one of their two shots on goal in the first minute of play. From there, the Chippewas controlled play.

In the 25th minute, sophomore midfielder Kaely Schlosser fired the first of several long-shot attempts by the Chippewas, but junior goalkeeper Aubrey Buehler made a diving save to her right.

Senior Co-Captain Liesel Toth nearly gave CMU the lead with five minutes to go in the first half when she fired a shot from 40 yards out that Buehler was just able to deflect over the crossbar.

CMU finally got on the board in the 74th minute after a scoreless first half when it’s other captain, Claire Horton dropped a free kick from 25 yards out behind Buehler and into the back of the net.

“It was funny because I usually take that kick,” Toth, who got the assist on the goal, said. “But Claire said she was going to take this one and there’s no arguing with that. It was perfect because she deserves that. She brings so much to the team.”

CMU outshot the Cardinals 15-to-2 and held the advantage in corner kicks 9-to-1.

Redshirt freshman Grace Labrecque and junior Stefanie Turner split the game in the Chippewa net. Labrecque saved the only two shots she faced.

Toledo

Friday the Chippewas defeated fellow Mid-American Conference contender Toledo 1-0.

Ashley Mejilla scored her team-leading fourth goal in the 76th minute off an assist from junior defender Katie Slaughter to give the Chippewas the win.

The loss was the first in conference play for the Rockets.

“Overall, I’m happy with how we played,” Stafford said. “I thought we played fantastic in the first half, especially. We applied a lot of pressure to Toledo in the first half and didn’t really allow them to get anything going.”

Turner started in goal. She had three saves en route to her fourth shutout of the season.

The Chippewas were dominating the game, but hadn’t scored a goal.

In the 76th minute that changed when junior midfielder Ashley Mejilla scored her team -eading fourth goal to propel CMU past the Rockets 1-0.

The two schools came into the game as the two best defensive teams in the Mid-American Conference and they showed why. The teams allowed 18 shots. Most of the game was played in the middle of the field with neither team able to get past the others defense.

Junior defender Katie Slaughter assisted on Mejilla’s goal for her first point of the season.

Junior Stefanie Turner started in goal. She had three saves en route to her fourth shutout of the season.

“Overall, I’m happy with how we played,” head coach Neil Stafford said. “I thought we played fantastic in the first half especially. We applied a lot of pressure to Toledo in the first half and didn’t really allow them to get anything going.“

The Chippewas are back in action at 1 p.m. on Sunday when they host Ball State in the regular season home finale.

That was it for the Central Michigan women’s soccer team had last season in Mid-American Conference play.

And that one loss came against Toledo, the team it faces at 4 p.m. today.

The Rockets feature a trio of offensive players. Senior Kristen Lynn leads the team with eight goals followed by sophomores Nicole Gyurgyik (seven goals) and Rachel MacLeod (six goals).

Toledo is the only team in the MAC with three players registering at least 15 points.

Head coach Neil Stafford knows if the Chippewas capitalize on more of their scoring chances, then the game should have a favorable outcome.

“If we score two goals on a team, it is very difficult to see a team scoring three goals on us,” Stafford said.

But CMU will encounter a stifling Toledo defense which only allowed only four goals in MAC play, posting six shutouts in eight games.

Ball State

The Cardinals are coming off a 2-0 loss to Kent State Sunday and a scoreless tie against Buffalo Oct. 14 and look to get back on track at 1 p.m. on Sunday against the Chippewas.

Freshman Jasmine Moses and junior Brigit Reder lead BSU in scoring. The two have seven and six goals respectively.

“We just need to put the teams under pressure and just play our game,” said senior defender Claire Horton.

The two games this weekend will be her last regular season games played at the CMU Soccer Complex. But it did not take away her focus from the importance of the upcoming matches.

“It means a lot because Toledo beat us last year so it’s kind of a revenge game and we want to keep our unbeaten streak at our home field,” Horton said.

Horton, along with seniors Chelsi Abbott, Bethany Allport and Liesel Toth, will be honored Sunday for senior day.

Horton and Toth have started every match in their career — a stretch of 82 games.

CMU’s unbeaten streak sits at 31 games and has not lost at home since Oct. 19, 2008 when it lost to Toledo 1-0. The Rockets lead the all-time series, 5-3-6.

CMU is 11-2-1 all-time against the Ball State.

Laura Twidle challenges a WMU forward during the first half a game in October 2010. (File Photo by Andrew Kuhn)

Help may be on the way for a Central Michigan women’s soccer team that has struggled to score goals at times this season.

Senior forward Laura Twidle began practicing this week and may be close to returning. Twidle injured her leg before the season, returned to play 12 minutes against Pittsburgh on Sept. 9, but has been out since she re-injured the leg in warmups of the next game against Michigan.

“Laura is getting much closer to coming back,” said head coach Neil Stafford. “But the exact date is still unknown.”

Twidle led the team in points the past two seasons. She had 16 and was tied for fourth on the team in goals with seven her freshman year. Last season, as a sophomore, she had 18 points and scored the sixth-most goals in CMU single-season history with eight.

But so far in 2011, the Chippewas have been without their top offensive threat and the leading scorer on this years team has just three goals.

“Look at where we would be in some of these games where we have struggled to score,” Stafford said. “If Laura Twidle is healthy it might be a different story.”

In last weekend’s 1-0 loss to rival Western Michigan, CMU outshot the Broncos 11-6 and controlled much of the action, but were unable to score.

Goals have been a problem for CMU all season, scoring 23 in 16 games, but getting Twidle, a first team All-Mid-American Conference forward, back is something that will help the entire team.

“Getting her back lifts everyone’s spirits up,” Stafford said. “Everyone knows how big of a factor her not being on the field has been and it will be a massive boost technically, tactically and for the overall moral of the team when she returns.”

The Chippewas next game is 4 p.m on Friday when they host fellow MAC contender Toledo at the CMU Soccer Complex.

The Central Michigan women’s soccer team responded with a 1-0 victory over Northern Illinois on Sunday after losing to Western Michigan 1-0 on Friday.

“I think any time you respond with a win after a loss, it’s a good thing,” said head coach Neil Stafford. “But I thought it was kind of a weird weekend. I thought we played really well on Friday and lost, but played just okay today and won.”

The game remained scoreless throughout the first half before CMU opened the scoring early in the second. Sophomore Estee Outcalt scored her third goal of the season when she received a throw in from Bailey Brandon and took a sliding shot past the NIU goalkeeper.

“She came in and played well,” Stafford said. “It was good to see her have such a presence in the game.”

That was all the offense the Chippewas needed as goalkeeper Grace Labrecque earned her third shutout of the season.

“Grace was magnificent,” Stafford said. “She is the reason we ended up with three points today.”

Labrecque has allowed one goal in 566:26 of play this season.

CMU outshot NIU 18-7 and had three corner kicks in comparison to the Huskies’ four.

“There were definitely areas for us to improve on, but overall, we got the job done and I thought we did well in certain areas,” Outcalt said.

The Chippewas improved their record to 11-2-3 overall and 5-1-2 in the Mid-American Conference while the Huskies fall to 2-12-2 overall and 1-7 in conference play.

Western Michigan

On Friday, WMU avenged its MAC Tournament loss to the Chippewas last season.

Despite carrying the play for most of the game, CMU could not find the back of the net.

“We dominated the game,” Stafford said. “But when you get people within the six-yard box and not finishing their chances, it’s just really frustrating.”

WMU junior Brittney Pavlica scored the winner in the 33rd minute after one-timing a long ball behind goalkeeper Stefanie Turner.

The Chippewas had numerous opportunities to tie the game, but could not score the equalizer.

“I am happy with how we played,” Stafford said. “But we just have to finish.”